


A dog is a Merlin's best friend

by OlisDrabbles



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Dogs, Episode: s01e02 Valiant, Everyone Loves Merlin (Merlin), First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28806468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlisDrabbles/pseuds/OlisDrabbles
Summary: Doing his best to stay as quiet as possible, he moved forward and to the side a bit, peaking in from behind the curtains separating the bed and looking at Arthur and the dog. Bentley, who was laying on his back on Arthur's bed, paws in the air and tail doing small, tired wags. And Arthur, who was sitting beside him and gently scratching his belly, a loving little smile on his face.Merlin felt like his entire world crashed right there.orThe dog from 1x02 was misunderstood and could've become Merlin's bestie and the #1 Merthur shipper and I'm attempting to make that happen
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 305





	A dog is a Merlin's best friend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [joggerwriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/joggerwriting/gifts), [acciomerlin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciomerlin/gifts).



> here's a little fic that was based on an idea my friend Lena gave me, so this is for her :D  
> also gifting it to Sim, because she's feeling sick and i have no other way to help out but this, so get better Sim ❤ and Lena ilysm ty for the prompt. i hope you like what i did with it :)  
> also!! got the name for Bentley from my friend Emma, and the other names Merlin suggested were from some twitter oomfs :D  
> didn't wanna forget anyone :) I'll stop talking now

He hoped he never had to do that ever again.

That was already the second time he had to save Arthur's royal arse, and he wasn't even his servant anymore! All because that prat wouldn't listen to him! And all that aside, Merlin was bloody exhausted. He spent all night practising that spell, then got attacked by a dog, then had to run all the way out here to use said spell on Arthur. And now he couldn't even go sleep in his room! Because _there was an angry dog inside it_! What was he supposed to do with him?!

Taking his eyes off of Arthur's bright victorious smile and shining hair, Merlin sighed and headed back, already dreading the next 2 hours of his day.

Merlin climbed up the spiral stairs and walked down the hallway that led to Gaius' chambers. He opened the door and peeked in, noticing the old man was very absent. Probably got scared off by the dog as well.

Walking in and closing the door, Merlin was just about to try and find some kind of rope and protection when he heard noises from the door. Scratches, to be precise, followed by a long, heart-breaking whine. Merlin’s face crumpled in pain and empathy as the scratching and whimpering continued. He sounded so sad and desperate being stuck in the room. Oh, Merlin's weakness for animals was going to be the death of him one day.

Ditching the idea of a rope, Merlin approached the door and carefully opened it, peeking in. He watched as the Rottweiler backed away and quickly looked up at him, his tail wagging. Well, that was better than earlier, at least. Much better.

Merlin slowly walked in but kept the door slightly open, kneeling down in front of the dog. “Hello,” He greeted in mild trepidation, then jumped when the animal barked back at him, loudly. Holy hell, the guy must’ve had some great lungs. He almost thought he was angry again, but the tail was wagging, and the fur along his spine wasn’t sticking up. That was a good sign, at least.

“Is that a hello too?” Merlin decided to ask, carefully. The dog just stared and made a little noise, sitting down. And, well, that was kind of cute. Merlin bit back a smile and slowly offered his hand to the canine, grinning widely when he sniffed it, then lifted his big paw and flopped it down in his hand. Now _that_ , was adorable. “Good boy.” Merlin praised, carefully reaching forward and petting the furry head. He was very handsome. And soft. Maybe the doggie just got spooked when it suddenly came alive out of nowhere. Maybe it was similar to when babies get born, how their first cry gets their lungs going.

“I'm sorry I got scared and left you stuck in here. It wasn't your fault.” He mumbled comfortingly and the doggie whimpered in reply, leaning into his hand as he found a good spot behind his ear. He was so cute, but Merlin still wasn't sure what to call him.

“I think we need to figure out your name, big guy.” He closed the door and moved to sit down against the bed, looking at the dog and narrowing his eyes. Um.

His mind was blank.

“Granite?” He blurted out, not very confidently. The dog's huff sounded almost judgemental. Okay... that was a no, then. Dogs don't like puns. Noted. “Ay-...la- no, that's a girl's name. I'm sorry. Um. Bubs. Truffle. Charlie?” He just kept staring at him with those big brown eyes, and Merlin felt like they weren't getting anywhere. “Bentley?” He tried, and now those floppy little ears perked up, head tilting slightly. That was a much more enthusiastic reaction. “Bentley? You like that?” Merlin beamed, scratching his little head again. “You're a very good boy, Bentley." He cooed, and Bentley seemed so adorably happy to hear that. It was beyond wholesome, and almost felt like... he could understand him. He must’ve been a very smart dog.

“Are you hungry? I could go get you some food from the kitchens. It'll be a little tricky. It's very busy because of the feast they're preparing, but I can give it a try.” Merlin asked, receiving only a bark in return. He took that as a yes.

And so Merlin hurried down to the kitchens with nothing but a little bag and a bucket. It indeed was busy, but it was nothing Merlin couldn't handle. He came over to peak in from the doorway and watched as the cook and her servants rushed all around the place, hurrying to finish everything. He spotted a tray of big drumsticks on a counter and licked his lips, checking to make sure nobody was watching before using his magic to send a few flying into his bag. Enough to keep him and his new friend satisfied. He stored the bag away then ran off, going to the nearest water pump and filling his bucket, then heading back up to Gaius' chambers.

It turned out Bentley quite liked drumsticks. He seemed to quite like food in general, wolfing it down like he'd been starving for years. Merlin couldn't really blame him. He'd probably been a statue for a very long time. And he refused to acknowledge Bentley didn't have a mind of his own back then, and probably wasn't even aware of the fact. Merlin was going to spoil him rotten either way.

“Bentley, bud, I’m tired.” Merlin yawned, his eyes drooping. He was going to go to the feast later, but now he just felt too tired to bother. Besides, he’d rather be with Bentley. Climbing up onto his bed, Merlin settled on his side and sighed, eyes closing on their own. He was just about to let go of himself when he felt a wet snout poking his cheek, and then the bed dipped and creaked as Bentley climbed up as well, settling happily against his chest. Merlin couldn't help but smile fondly. He slid his arm over the dog's middle, gently touched his paw, and then he was asleep.

•

“Merlin? Merlin! Are you here?”

Merlin grumbled and squinted his eyes open, then blew air out his nose in amusement when Bentley grumbled as well, still resting against him. There were loud, obnoxious footsteps outside, and then the door to his room swung open, Arthur barging in as rudely as ever. “What do you want, Arthur? I'm not your servant anymore.” Merlin groaned, closing his eyes again and burying his face in the fur on the back of Bentley's neck, who surprisingly wasn't even reacting to the unfamiliar man in his room.

“I'm still your prince either way, _Mer_ lin. Why do you have a _dog_ in your bed?”

“Because a dog jumped on my bed, _Ar_ thur.” Merlin snarked plainly, not particularly wanting to talk to Arthur right now. He may have been willing to save him, but Arthur was still an ass. He could hear the prince huff in exasperation, right before his shoulders slumped, then raised again, steel and determined.

“I came here, because I wanted to apologise for the way I treated you.” And now, how was that supposed to _not_ get Merlin's attention?

Lifting his head, Merlin furrowed his brows and looked at Arthur, who looked a bit sheepish, under all that determination and arrogance, hidden by the regal attire he wore for the feast. He pulled his arm back and sat up, ignoring the complaining grumble Bentley made. Arthur only glanced at the dog for a second before coming over and sitting down on the edge of the bed. He took a deep breath and then, “I made a mistake, Merlin. It was... it was unfair to sack you.”  
.  
.  
.  
Well, it wasn't the best apology Merlin had ever heard, but he could appreciate the effort.

“Don't worry about it, you can buy me a drink and call it even.” Merlin smiled in that cheeky way of his, interest peaking when a little bit of red rose in Arthur’s cheeks. Even Bentley lifted his head now, looking between the two of them. “Uh.” The prince uttered dumbly, glancing at the dog, then at Merlin, then at the dog again. “I can't exactly be _seen_ buying _drinks_ for my _servant_.” He replied, trying to sound as arrogant as possible, but still looking a bit too flustered to sell the lie. Merlin scoffed in amusement and looked at Bentley, shaking his head. “Not your servant, Arthur. You sacked me.”

“Well, now I'm rehiring you.”

“And what if I say no?”

“You've no choice, unfortunately.” Of course not.

“I thought you said I’m the worst servant in all the 5 kingdoms.” Merlin grinned, tilting his head and enjoying the way Arthur scoffed and rolled his eyes, annoyed. “You are, but I'm not about to waste my time training a servant all over again.”

“I'm sure Morris would-"

“ _Merlin_.”

“ _Fine_ , fine.”

Arthur sighed, and it looked like weight was lifted off his shoulders. He finally let himself relax, and looked at the dog. Yet again. He stayed silent for only a few moments before speaking. “No, seriously. Why's there a dog in your room?” He asked, then reached over to pet it, scratching behind his ear just like Merlin did, and Bentley loved it just as much. Oh god, um.

“He followed me from the lower town.” Merlin lied, and instantly felt a bit bad about it. Arthur eyed him for a moment, then nodded and continued giving the Rottweiler attention. “What's his name?” He asked, and the voice was simply too soft and gentle to belong to Arthur Pendragon. Merlin got a weird feeling in his stomach just from hearing it.

“Uhm. Bentley.”

Scrunching his face up in distaste, Arthur looked back at Merlin and cocked a judgemental brow. That was much more like him. “Seriously? You gave him an old man name?”  
“It's not an old man name! And I only gave it to him because it was the only one he liked!”

“I fear to know what else you suggested, then.” Arthur muttered, then stood up and fixed his cloak. “Come on, then.”

Merlin frowned and looked up, confused. “What? Where?” He asked, instantly getting an eye roll in return. “To my chambers, _Mer_ lin. You _are_ my servant after all.”

“Now?”

“ _Yes, now_.”

“Can Bentley come with us?” Merlin asked happily, and the dog instantly perked up at the suggestion. Arthur felt his lips fall agape and stared at them, but _fuck_. It was like being given _two_ sets of puppy eyes. And Arthur did quite love dogs.

“Fine. Yes.” Yay!

•---•---•

The next morning Merlin woke up strangely cheerful, but quickly figured out why. The dog pressed up to his chest was making it quite obvious.

Grinning, Merlin left a kiss on the fur then hopped out of bed, quickly getting dressed for the day. “Come on, Bentley! We gotta go!” He exclaimed, snorting as the dog instantly lifted his head, then jumped out of bed. They ran out onto the hallways and down to the kitchens. “ _Good morning, Merlin_!” The cook's helpers greeted happily as he ran into the room, grabbing Arthur's breakfast tray and sending them all a big bright smile before hurrying right back out. “Morning! And thank you!” He yelled back, then continued speeding down the hallways with a very happy Bentley. They skilfully avoided passing servants and amused knights, trying not to crash into anyone, then eventually made it to the chambers, where Arthur was probably still sleeping away the morning. Now, he only had one little problem.

Merlin grumbled at the door, cursing it for being so inconvenient. He tried to balance the tray in one arm so he could open it, but Bentley seemed to understand what had to be done, and jumped up, opening the door on his own. Merlin stood and stared in surprise for a moment, then grinned again, letting out a little wheeze and going in. “What a good boy you are, Bentley.”

Merlin left the tray on Arthur's table and pushed it further back from the edge, simply because he didn't trust the dog. He closed the bedroom door then hurried up to the window, pushing open the curtains. “Rise and shine!”

“Shut _up_ , Merlin.” Now that _had_ to be a record.

“Alright, nope. We're not doing this again. Bentley, get ‘im.” Merlin sighed heavily, then smiled when the dog excitedly ran over to the side of the bed and got his front paws up, leaning forward to leave enthusiastic kisses all over Arthur's face. The prince of Camelot made disturbed noises and turned his head away, pulling on his pillow so he could shove it over his own face. All Merlin could hear was a muffled “ ** _MERLIN_**!”, making him snort in amusement.

“Fine, fine. Bentley, that's enough.” Merlin mused, kneeling down and inviting the dog into his arms. He gave him a few kisses and scratched his neck, then stood again. “You have to get up, sire.” He pulled the pillow away from his face and tossed it to the right side of the bed, slapping Arthur's wrist when he went to grab it again. Arthur took a second to gape at him, then scowled and pushed him away, getting up with an aggravated growl. Merlin could only smile, feathers staying unruffled.

“Prepare my clothes, Merlin.” Arthur said grumpily, sitting down and pulling his tray of food closer. He was just about to take a drumstick when Bentley barked and sat right in front of him. Merlin already knew the big brown puppy eyes Arthur was being given at the moment, but that sounded like the prince’s problem, not his. Thank you very much.

“Merlin~” There it was.

“Kind of busy, sire,” Merlin called from where he was taking clothes out from Arthur's closet. He slipped a glance anyway and snorted at the pained look on Arthur's face. Who would've thought he'd be such a softie for the dog.

“Merlin, I think your dog's hungry.”

“He's not, but he wants your food anyway. Just look away if it bothers you.” Merlin said slyly, smirking to himself. He closed the closet door and brought the clothes to the bed, laying them out. He could _hear_ Arthur's resolve melting. And all it took was a happy dog.

“Come on, Bentley. Leave him alone.” Merlin interrupted in a stricter tone, taking pity on the prince. Bentley was quick to whip his head around and trot over to Merlin's side instead, deciding sniffing around Arthur's room was just as fascinating as his breakfast. Merlin couldn't find it in himself to disagree. Arthur smelled quite nice.

Which, when he thought about it, was quite a creepy thought to have cross your mind.

“What are the plans for today?’ Merlin asked, to distract himself from his disturbing brain. Arthur scoffed from where he was sitting at the table behind him, eating away at his food. “Isn't it your _job_ to know that, _Mer_ lin?” He asked, but didn't sound angry about it. If anything, it was more amused. Or, god forbid, _fond_.

“Well how will I know if you don't _tell_ me?” Merlin scoffed and glanced back, just in time to catch Arthur closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead in a seemingly pained expression. It made him smile.

“Gods above, I've got training in half an hour, Merlin. Just worry about that right now. I don't think your brain has the _capacity_ for the rest.” Now that, that was just plain rude.

Upon hearing a noise, Merlin turned around and saw Bentley pull a sock off the top of Arthur's dresser, then lay down and start tearing it with his teeth, his eyes still innocently looking at him and Arthur, who was gaping in his seat.

“See, that's what you get for insulting me.”

•

“Bentley, _sit_. It's not safe over there.” Merlin scolded, holding the dog back so he wouldn't go and investigate what swords are, and whether or not they taste good. The dog grumbled but obeyed, yet again taking Merlin by surprise with how well he seemed to understand the things he was saying. Did he know his language? Was that just an ability magic animals had?

Merlin looked down and furrowed his brows at the unimpressed look Bentley was giving him. It made him a tad queasy, so he decided to push it aside.

“Sire, why is there a dog following Merlin around?” One of the knights asked Arthur, looking confused, but amused at the same time. Arthur glanced over at him and seemed to just give a heavy sigh, then shrug helplessly. “I don’t know, he found him in streets, I suppose. You know how he is with animals.” He replied, making his knight laugh.

“Like that time with the baby squirrel?”

“ _Exactly_ like the time with the baby squirrel.’

Merlin watched the interaction with a gaping mouth, insulted that they were talking behind his back. Well, not literally. They were in front of him, but they were talking like he wasn't sitting right there, and it was rude.

Besides, helping animals was hardly a bad thing.

Huffing indignantly, Merlin pet Bentley’s head and started scratching down his neck, then all around it. He smiled when he found a good spot and made the dog twist his head, his leg thumping against the ground as if he was scratching himself, when in reality it was Merlin doing the work. He could hear some knights laughing in the background. And really, they ought to focus on actually training, not watching him pet a dog.

“Gentlemen! Focus, _please_. I can't imagine you find my servant coddling a _dog_ entertaining enough to waste _valuable training time_." Arthur called, as if he could read his mind, and Merlin decided to ignore the coddle comment. He gave Bentley a little hug and kiss on the head, then looked back up to watch the training.

What he wasn't expecting, was to find Arthur watching him with a gentle sort of look in his eyes. Their gazes met and the expression was swiftly wiped off the prince's face. He looked away and got back to training his men. Merlin blinked once, twice, then looked at Bentley and gave him a little shrug. It was just Arthur having one of his daydream zone out moments.

After training, Arthur had a court meeting, and Merlin was ordered to clean his chambers while he was gone. Merlin _hated_ cleaning his chambers. He had to do it _all_ the _time_ , even when they weren't really that dirty. And _bloody hell_ , they were _huge_!

And so, Merlin spent like two _hours_ dusting off furniture and scrubbing the floor, and he _still_ wasn't done by the time Arthur was back!

“You never know how many types _document_ ink there are until those wrinkly old _men_ start having a bloody _war_ over them.” Arthur snarked as he entered the chambers and shut the door closed, sounding ticked off. It was understandable, of course, Merlin had had the _misfortune_ to be at one of the meetings last week, and he _still_ had to massage his temples from time to time, just from _thinking_ about it.

“Where's that _dog_ of yours, _Mer_ lin? Have you finally let the poor animal go?” He heard the prince ask, and was about to reply, but Arthur beat him to it with a quiet “Ah, there he is.”

Merlin grumbled and let go of the brush he was using, standing up and wiping his hands against his breeches. “Yes, he's right there, _my lord_.” He said grumpily, moving towards the bed, but stopping in his tracks when he heard quiet speaking.

Doing his best to stay as quiet as possible, he moved forward and to the side a bit, peaking in from behind the curtains separating the bed and looking at Arthur and the dog. Bentley, who was laying on his back on Arthur's bed, paws in the air and tail doing small, tired wags. And Arthur, who was sitting beside him and gently scratching his belly, a loving little smile on his face. The prince leaned down and gave the dog a little kiss on the head, and Bentley grumbled sleepily in return.

Merlin felt like his entire world crashed right there, his stomach doing uncomfortable twists and turns.

What the _hell_ did he just witness?

“Merlin.” A voice broke through his daze, and Merlin returned his focus on Arthur, who was now staring right at him, but one of his hands was still on Bentley's chest. His _big, strong hands_ -

“Are you done?”

“What?”

“With the floor. Are you done.” Arthur said in a tone that was suggesting he was seriously starting to look like a simpleton. Merlin's mouth fell open and he looked back at the brush, then at Arthur, who was still waiting for an answer.

“Uh- um. Yes. Yes, I am.” No, he wasn't, but the floor was already clean anyway.

“Good. Go fetch my lunch, then.”

“Yes, sire.”

•---•---•

Bentley easily became part of their little routine. He helped Merlin wake Arthur up in the morning, spent time with them and got cuddles during the day, and gave the prince goodbye kisses at night, before following Merlin to his chambers and sharing his bed. Arthur even requested more food to be added to his plates so he could feed him! It all made Merlin feel over the bloody moon.

It was just another morning. Arthur was standing in front of his window, looking out with his arms crossed, like he always did. Merlin was standing by the table with sewing tools, holding one of Arthur's red tunics and trying to find a hole the prince mentioned, but it was nowhere to be fucking seen.

“Arthur, I _don't bloody see it_.” Merlin hissed, continuously checking over the entire god damn tunic, but it wasn't _there_. “Are you _sure_ this is the right one?”

“Yes, _Mer_ lin. It's around the bottom."

“Arthur, I checked the bloody tunic a thousand times. _There's no hole_.”

Arthur growled under his breath, turning around and going to Merlin with a gritted out “You _really are_ bloody _useless_.” Merlin, decided it wasn't worth replying to. Instead giving him the tunic so _he_ can find his _precious_ hole, no innuendo intended. Bentley on the other hand, seemed to have a different idea as he watched the two of them fight, and took it upon himself to sneak up on Arthur from behind and use his whole weight to jump on him, barking happily. Startled out of his skin, Arthur moved forward and crashed straight into Merlin, nearly sending him toppling straight to the stone floor. Merlin yelped in surprise, feeling like his entire life was flashing in front of his eyes. He was momentarily convinced he was about to hit his head right open. But then Arthur grabbed him. And the whole world... stopped.

It didn't, of course. But it felt like it did.

The two of them stared at each other, each in mild shock, because Arthur was leaning over him, arms around his waist, and eyes wide. Merlin licked his lips nervously, trying his best to ignore the beams of sunshine coming in through the window and giving Arthur’s hair a glowing sort of look. He had to _focus_ , because he was pretty bloody sure he saw Arthur's stormy blue eyes follow the movement of his tongue, and that was _much_ more important.

“Arthur.” Merlin whispered, feeling a bit breathless. The prince didn't seem to really register his voice, so Merlin lifted a hand and hesitantly touched his cheek, trying to snap him out of it.

It certainly did the job.

Arthur blinked and looked over his face, then down at their position. His lips fell open. _Gods_ , those _lips_ -

“I am... I am so sorry.” The prince whispered, his eyes wide. He slowly moved his arms away from Merlin's waist, already leaving him wanting the touch back. He continued stuttering. “I didn't mean- I don't- know- I- the dog-"

“Arthur.”

“I- I apologise if I made you uncomfortable-"

“Oh my god.” Merlin whispered, staring at the prince as he continued rambling. He fleetingly wondered whether he was deaf, or just outright _stupid_ , but there was one thing he _did_ know. He seriously had to shut up.

Mustering up whatever courage he had in him, Merlin grabbed Arthur and surged forward.

He heard a small, sharp intake of breath, and then pressure. And Merlin was in heaven.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, pulling him closer. He felt like he was dreaming, and honestly, he might've been. Because Arthur. Stunning, unfairly perfect Arthur, was snaking his arms right back where they belonged. And he was tilting his head, gently prying his lips open. And Merlin decided right then.

_A dog really is a man's best friend._

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are much appreciated :D have a nice rest of the day. if you got this far, i love you  
> [here's my twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/dqdcliviq)  
> 


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